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Andrew Bonar
Andrew Alexander Bonar (1810–1892). Born on May 29, 1810, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Andrew Bonar was the youngest of seven brothers, including hymn-writer Horatius, in a devout Presbyterian family. Orphaned by his father at seven, he struggled with faith until finding assurance at 20 through William Guthrie’s Saving Interest of Christ. He studied divinity at Edinburgh University, was licensed to preach in 1835, and ordained in 1838 at Collace, Perthshire, serving 18 years. A friend of Robert Murray M’Cheyne, he co-wrote a mission report on Palestine’s Jews in 1839 and authored M’Cheyne’s memoir, a lasting Christian work. Joining the Free Church of Scotland after the 1843 Disruption, he preached in a tent until a church was built, fostering revival during the 1839–1840 Kilsyth movement. In 1856, he became minister at Finnieston Free Church, Glasgow, until his death on December 30, 1892. Married to Isabella Dickson in 1848, he was widowed in 1864 after having six children. Known for expository preaching and fervent prayer, Bonar’s ministry bore a guiding principle from Proverbs 11:30, as he wrote in his diary, “He that winneth souls is wise.”
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Andrew Bonar addresses the sisters of the Misses Church in Glasgow, expressing his heartfelt wishes for grace, mercy, and peace to be with them, emphasizing the certainty of these blessings. He encourages them to engage deeply with the Word of God, likening its reverence to that of the High Priest entering the Holy of Holies. Bonar reflects on the strength Paul received from the Lord during his trials, drawing parallels to the support Christ provides to His followers. He invites the sisters to share their learnings from Bournemouth, highlighting the importance of communication and prayer among friends. Bonar concludes with a reminder of the love Christ has for His followers, akin to His affection for the sisters at Bethany.
Letters: The Misses Church, Glasgow (1)
GLASGOW, 16th Jan. 1884. MY DEAR SISTERS, —An old minister, whom you have had some knowledge of, wrote to his friend a salutation that I offer to you— 'Grace, mercy, and peace shall be with you.' He did not say, 'May grace, mercy, and peace be with you,' but he said, 'Grace shall be with you (see margin), mercy and peace.' He was sure of it; for he knew that the trees whose roots are in the waters cannot but be kept fresh and green. Have you been finding much of late in the 'Law of the Lord' ? You know that the Word is called 'the Oracles of God,' and this is just the description of the utterances of God from the Holy of Holies. Read your Bibles, then, with the same reverence as filled the soul of the High Priest when he went into the very presence of the Holy One of Israel. You were studying the interviews of Paul with his Master, and you made out six, taking in the angel's visit to him as representing Christ. I made out a seventh visit—at the time of his trial and approach of his end, from 2 Tim. 4:17: 'The Lord stood by me and strengthened me.' Now, as the angel (Acts 27: 23) really stood by Paul in his cabin, so was not this a real standing-by in personal presence? The Lord Jesus came into his prison-cell, and just as the other angel in Gethsemane 'strengthened' the Master, probably by a message from the Father, so did Christ do to His servant there. Are you learning some peculiar lessons at Bournemouth? Tell me some of them, for 'to communicate to him that teacheth' is a duty of every hearer (Gal. 6:6). It often seems strange never to see your faces—nor hear your voices—never to be calling at your well-known house! Sometimes pray for us, and that will be equivalent to a kind call from you, for speaking to the Lord about friends is as kind an act as speaking directly to friends. —Believe me, ever yours truly in Him who loved the sisters at Bethany, ANDREW A. BONAR.
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Andrew Alexander Bonar (1810–1892). Born on May 29, 1810, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Andrew Bonar was the youngest of seven brothers, including hymn-writer Horatius, in a devout Presbyterian family. Orphaned by his father at seven, he struggled with faith until finding assurance at 20 through William Guthrie’s Saving Interest of Christ. He studied divinity at Edinburgh University, was licensed to preach in 1835, and ordained in 1838 at Collace, Perthshire, serving 18 years. A friend of Robert Murray M’Cheyne, he co-wrote a mission report on Palestine’s Jews in 1839 and authored M’Cheyne’s memoir, a lasting Christian work. Joining the Free Church of Scotland after the 1843 Disruption, he preached in a tent until a church was built, fostering revival during the 1839–1840 Kilsyth movement. In 1856, he became minister at Finnieston Free Church, Glasgow, until his death on December 30, 1892. Married to Isabella Dickson in 1848, he was widowed in 1864 after having six children. Known for expository preaching and fervent prayer, Bonar’s ministry bore a guiding principle from Proverbs 11:30, as he wrote in his diary, “He that winneth souls is wise.”